Continuous freezing device



Dec. 15, 1936. H. D. GEYER CONTINUOUS FREEZING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zlwvantoz Hm" v y Z7. El -yer Dec. 15, 1936. H D, GEYER 2,064,655

CONTINUOUS FREEZ ING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ham/592E515 82'' h dbkozmq s Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHQE CONTINUOUS FBEEZI'N G Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Dela- This invention relates to an ice-freezing device having an endless flexible container belt wherein water is frozen and the ice blocks are later ejected by the passage of the belt over a roller or other curved surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient, and rapid means for freezing small ice blocks.

Another object is to provide means which may be operated continuously or intermittently for producing small ice blocks in an efficient manner.

Various other features of the invention are hereinafter described and claimed in the appended claims.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will 'be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present inven- 0 tion is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a transverse section through the device and is taken on line ii of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the container belt taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The illustrations in the drawings are more or less diagrammatic for the sake of clearness.

A large rotating refrigerated drum i0 fixed to a shaft ii is suitably mounted upon bearings i2 in a stationary frame i3 of any suitable construction. The metal face M of drum 10 has a large number of recessed cavities 55 therein which preferably are spaced slightly apart to provide spaces is therebetween on the inside of the drum to permit the circulation of a suitable refrigerant in spaces [6. (See Fig. 2). Drum it has a cylindrical wall 20 therein which provides a sealed annular refrigerant chamber 2i within which a suitable refrigerant may be circulated immediately adjacent the freezing face i4 thereof. In the form shown a suitable refrigerant enters chamber 2| through the passage 22 in one end of shaft H and thence through duct 23 to chamber 2i. The refrigerant leaves chamber 21 through a similar duct 24 and passage 25 at the other end of shaft Ii. Refrigerant is led to and away from passages 22 and 25 through stationary ducts 26 and 21 which are connected to the rotating shaft H by suitable leak-proof sealing joints 28 and 29. In the drawings the joints 28 and 29 are shown as simple packing joints suitable only for the use of cold brine as the refrigerant, however a compressed and condensed refrigerant. such as sulphur dioxide or other well-known-r e frigerant may be used with this device, in which event a suitable and well-known type-of gastight sealing joint should be used at the-con;- nections'28 and 29. It is to be understood-that drum I0, shaft ii, ducts 23 and 24; and. the metal parts enclosing chamber 2i all-rotate as a unit hence it will be a simple matter to pro vide leak-proof joints at all other than at the relatively rotating joints 28 and 2 33 represents a brine circulating pump if co is used. and a compressor if a compr lsed r e is provided with a series of ice pockets 3i conform in shape to and seat individually. within the cavities 15 in the outer face It of the: in, as clearly illustrated. This provides -a..very close thermal relation between the contents of pockets 5i and the refrigerant within chamber 2i and hence provides rapid heat transferand consequently rapid freezing of the contents container pockets 51. Belt or band 50 also rides upon the smaller rotatable drum which suitably mounted upon hearings in frame i3. As band or belt 50 passes around drum 60 the flexible bottoms 52 of the ice pockets it are distorted or pressed upwardly by contact with the face of drum 60 and thus the frozenice blocks -53 are loosened from the walls of pockets 5i and are ejected therefrom (see illustration Fig. 1). Drums l0 and preferably have end flanges to aid in properly guiding the belt 510 thereon.

A cold water tank 10 is located so that the lower portion of drum 50 is always submerged under the water level H therein. A continuous flexible water-retainer belt 12 is suitably mounted upon rollers l3, I4, 15, and 16 so that it will engage and ride upon the outer faceof flexible belt 50 from point A to point B and so retain the water in the pockets 5| as they emerge from the water in tank 10 until they reach an upright position as shown in Fig. 1. If the freezing action of the device issufilciently rapid the retainer belt 12 may ride upon belt 50 only far enough to retain the water in pockets 5| until the water is frozen over and will be thus retained in pockets 5| without aid from belt 12. Belt 12 is preferably of flexible material-to which ice does not readily adhere, such as flexible rubber, but if desired it may be flexible sheet metal such as thin sheet copper. Belt 12 is pressed by its tension into contact with the marginal edges 53 (see Fig. 3) of the ice pockets 5! and thus the water is securely retained in said pockets from the point A to the point i on drum [0. At point B belt I2 leaves the belt iii-at a tangent and is thereby easily stripped from its frozen bond with the upper surface of the ice blocks 53 in the pockets 5|.

The entire chamber 80, within which is located drums l and 60, water tank 10 and retainer belt I2, is enclosed with heat-insulating walls 8| to prevent heat entering from the outside and reducing the freezing eiliciency of the device. Chamber 80 is of course cooled by the refrigerant in chamber 2| indrum ill but not to such an extent that the water in tank 10 will be frozen over solidand interfere with the above described operation of the device. The relation of the cooled drum 10 to the water in tank I0 preferably is such that the. water is maintained at or near its freezing point but will not be frozen over to such an extent as to prevent the proper rotation of drum l0 and belt 50 even though the device is idle for a considerable period of time. It will be noted that the circulation of refrigerant in chamber 2| starts and stops when the rotation of.drum 'lil starts and stops since both are actuated by the motor Hence if the device is run continuously for a long period of time the cooling action of the refrigerant will be correspondingly supplied. continuously to provide the proper continuous freezing action. But if the motor 3| is stopped the refrigerant circulation is also stopped and the supply of cold refrigerant remaining in chamber 2| will tend to keep the water in tank 10 cold for a period of time, but the \quantityof this remaining cold refrigerant will not be suflicient to freeze over tank 10 and prevent the proper starting of the device at the next operation thereof.

As described above, this device may be operated for the continuous production of frozen ice blocks 53 which are ejected at the drum 50. In the form shown in the drawings, an ice reservoir pan 82 is provided into which the ice blocks 53 fall as they are continuously ejected from the belt 50. The ice may be removed from pan 82 at will. Pan 82 is preferably hinged at 83 so that when the device is stopped, or even when the device is permitted to run, pan 82 may be swung to closed position shown in dotted lines at 82' to conserve the cold temperature in chamber 80. If the device is permitted to run with pan 82 in closed position, the ejected ice blocks 53 will simply fall back into the water tank i0 and so aid in maintaining this water near its freezing temperature and thus prevent waste of refrigeration. When the device has been idle for such length of time that the temperature of the water in tank 10 is too high for proper freezing of ice blocks, the device may be run with pan 82 in closed position until the water in tank 10 is reduced to the proper temperature by the cold water or partially frozen contents of the pockets which are dumped by drum 60 and caused to fall back into tank In.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that, other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt having container pockets carried ,thereupon, a refrigerated drum and an ejecting drum upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, means for chilling said refrigerated drum below freezing temperature, and means for moving said belt around said drums whereby the frozen contents in said pockets are loosened as said pockets pass around said ejecting drum.

2. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt havingcontainer pockets carried thereupon, a refrigerated drum and an ejecting drum upon which; said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, mean for chilling said refrigerated drum to freezing temperature, and means for moving said belt around said drums, whereby the distortion of said flexible belt as it passes around said ejecting drum facilitates the ejection of ,the frozen contents from said pockets.

3. An ice-freezing devicecomprising: an end- -1ess flexible belt having container pockets carried thereupon, two rotatable drums upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for fllling said pockets with liquid to be'frozen while said pockets are passing around one of said drums,

.means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and means for moving said belt around said drums whereby the frozen contents in said .pockets are loosened assaid pockets-pass around one of said drums.

A. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt having container pockets carried thereupon, two rotatable drums upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen,2means for freezing said liquid while said pockets are passing around one of said drums, and means for moving said belt around said drums whereby the frozen contents in said pockets are loosened as said pockets pass around one -of said drums.

5. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt having container pockets carried thereupon, two rotatable drums upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and means for moving said belt around said drums, said pockets having outwardly projecting bottoms so as to have their bottoms deflected upwardly as they pass around one of said drums whereby the frozen contents therein are loosened.

6. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt having container pockets carried thereupon, two rotatable drums uponwhich said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and means for moving said belt around said drums,

v said pockets being molded of soft flexible rubried thereupon, two rotatable drums upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen while said pockets are passing around one of said drums, a second flexible belt means covering said pockets to retain them filled until they reach an upright position on said drum, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and means for moving said belt around said drums whereby the frozen contents in said pockets are loosened as said pockets pass around one of said drums.

8. An ice-freezing device comprising: a refrigerated rotating drum, an endless flexible container belt movable around said drum and carrying a plurality of container pockets and having close heat-conducting relation with the contacting surface of said refrigerated drum, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, means for retaining the liquid in said pockets until they approach an upright position on said drum, and a guide spaced from said drum and having a curved surface over which said belt and pockets move after the liquid in said pockets is frozen whereby said frozen contents are loosened from the pocket walls.

9. An ice-freezing device comprising: a refrigerated rotating drum, an endless flexible container belt movable around said drum and carrying a plurality of container pockets and having close heat-conducting relation with the contacting surface of said refrigerated drum, means for filling said pockets with liquid .to be frozen, a flexible belt means covering said ockets to retain the liquid therein until they approach an upright position, and a guide having a curved surface over which said container belt moves after the contents of said pockets are frozen whereby said contents are loosened.

10. An ice-freezing device comprising: a refrigerated rotating drum, an endless flexible container belt movable around said drum and carrying a plurality of container pockets and having close heat-conducting relation with the contacting surface of said refrigerated drum, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen, and means for retaining the liquid in said pockets until frozen by said refrigerated drum.

11. An ice-freezing device comprising: a refrigerated rotating drum, an endless flexible container belt movable around said drum and carrying a plurality of container pockets and having close heat-conducting relation with the contacting surface of said refrigerated drum, a water reservoir positioned so as to submerge the bottom portion of said drum whereby to fill the container pockets as they pass under the water level, means for retaining the water in said pockets until they approach an upright position or until sufliciently frozen, and means for ejecting the frozen contents from said pockets.

12. An ice-freezing device comprising: an endless flexible belt having container pockets carried thereupon, two rotatable drums upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen while said pockets are passing around one of said drums, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and means for ejecting the frozen contents from said pockets.

13. In a device of the character described, an

insulated casing containing a belt having a seand means for removing the frozen liquid from said cavities while the flexible member is in motion.

15. An ice freezing device comprising, an endless belt having container pockets carried' thereupon, a rotatable member upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen while said pockets are passing around said member, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, and a portion of said belt extending outwardly from said rotatable member and engaging a means for ejecting the frozen contents from said pockets.

16. An ice freezing device comprising, an endless belt having container pockets carried thereupon, a rotatable member upon which said endless belt is mounted, means for filling said pockets with liquid to be frozen while said pockets are passing around said member, means for freezing said liquid while in said pockets, at least a portion of said pockets being flexible to permit deformation thereof, and a portion of said belt extending outwardly from said rotatable member and engaging a means which deforms the flexible portion of said pockets to cause the frozen contents thereof to be ejected therefrom.

17. An apparatus for making ice blocks comprising in combination, a water tank, a drum journaled to revolve in a body of water in said tank, means for imparting an iceforming temperature to the periphery of said drum, a pulley member spaced from said drum, an endless band of freezing containers trained over said drum and pulley member, said containers having their closed ends traveling in contact with the periphery of said drum, and means. for driving said drum and band.

18. An apparatus for making ice blocks comprising in combination, a water tank, a drum journaled to revolve in a body of water in said tank, means for imparting an ice forming temperature to the periphery of said drum, a pulley member spaced from said drum, an endless band of flexible walled cup-shaped freezing containers trained over said drum and pulley member, said containers having their closed ends traveling in contact with the periphery of said drum, means for driving said drum and band, and said pulley member flexing the closed ends of said containers as and when same travel thereover.

HARVEY D. GEYER. 

